Ice resurfacing machine having conveyor to remove scraped material from blade



Apnl 20, 1965 E. v. CAPALBO 3,178,837

ICE RESURFACING MACHINE HAVING CONVEYOR TO REMOVE SCRAPED MATERIAL FROM BLADE Filed Jan. 7, 1965 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EUGENEZCAPALBO BY J 4 ATTORNEYS Aprll 20, 1965 E. v. CAPALBO 3,178,837

ICE RESURFACING MACHINE HAVING CONVEYOR TO REMOVE SCRAPED MATERIAL FROM BLADE Filed Jan. '7, 1963 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EUGENEZCAPALBO ATTORNEY Aprll 20, 1965 E. v. CAPALBO 3,178,837

ICE RESURFACING MACHINE HAVING CONVEYOR TO REMOVE SCRAPED MATERIAL FROM BLADE Filed Jan. 7, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FROM COLLECTION CHAMBER FROM RINK SURFACE TO TANKS DELIVERY AND RETUR NHYD MOTOR ON SCRAPER INVENTOR EUGENEVJCAPALBO ATTORNEYS United States Patent )fiice 3,178,337 Patented Apr. 20, 1965 ICE RESURFACING MACHINE HAVING CON- VEYOR TO REMOVE SCRAPED MATERIAL FROM BLADE Eugene Vincent Capalbo, Mount Vernon, N.Y. (198 Sparks Ave., Pelham, N.Y.) Filed Jan. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 249,756 4 Claims. (Cl. 37-13) The present invention relates to ice resurfacing machines for smoothing and renewing the surface of ice in a skating rink after pre-determined periods of use during which time the ice has been roughened by skaters.

As is well known in the field, the successful operation of a busy skating rink requires frequent, periodic reconditioning of the surface of the ice; that is to say, spicules of ice scraped up by skates must be cleared away and cuts and gouges in the surface must be removed or smoothed over. In the majority of rinks, reconditioning of the ice surface has been accomplished manually which is not only slow butis also quite inefiicient inasmuch as it is practically impossible to scrape the surface smooth by hand. Thus where only manual means are utilized, after the surface has been swept by hand, cuts and gouges are removed by the addition of layers of water which results in an increasing ice thickness and consequent lessening of the effectiveness of the refrigerating system so that periodically, total thawing of the rink is required during which time the rink is unusable and hence unproductive.

Endeavors to overcome the foregoing problem by machine have met with indifferent success, either because the machines are overly complex and thus subject to frequent breakdowns or because they are simply incapable of performing the desired task. A prime function of machine conditioners is to scrape the ice to remove roughness so that only a subsequent shallow layer of Water is required which will not add appreciably to the thickness of the ice, thereby eliminating the necessity for periodic total shutdown of the rink. However, a significant problem connected with machine scrapers is the disposal of the ice scrapings, known as snow, from the rink and a prime object of the present invention is to provide a machine ice conditioner of the scraper variety which includes novel and efiicient means for disposing of snow as the scraper traverses the ice surface.

In accordance with the invention, scraped snow is continuously moved from a scraper blade by an endless conveying system which deposits the snow into a receptacle rearwardly of the scraper and the conveying means. In accordance with the invention, the snow may either be dumped quickly and easily from the receptacle by novel means hereinafter described or the snow may be subjected to heating in the receptacle thus reducing it to water so that it may be circulated from the receptacle through a filter by way of a pump and returned to the rink surface so that no additional water is ever required which would add to the thickness of the ice. Desirably, the returned melt water is circulated adjacent to the heating means so that the water is deposited on the ice surface in a warm condition which produces a smooth surface upon refreezing.

The present invention will now be described in detail in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the conditioner of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the scraper portion of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view showing the interior of one embodiment of the scraper portion of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view partly broken away showing details of certain operating mechanisms of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical broken cross sectional view of reduced size similar to FIG. 3 but showing a second embodiment of the scraper portion of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, the scraper of the invention consists of two major components which are, respectively, a traction member and a scraper member 12. The traction member may comprise a small commercial tractor which has been modified and adapted for its particular use in connection with the present invention. Significant additions to the tractor are interconneced water tanks 13 which over-lie and surround the hood part of the tractor generally indicated by the numeral 14 in FIG. 1. Desirably, the tanks are arranged so that the space directly over the hood is open not only to permit the circulation of air to the tractor motor but also to afford space in which a tank 16 containing liquified fuel, whose purpose will be later explained, may be received as shown in FIG. 1. The tractor is provided with the usual operators seat 18 and a steering wheel 20 and is provided with a conventional hydraulic lift mechanism of the three point variety and generally indicated in FIG. 1 by the numeral 22.

The hydraulic lift mechanism is of the type well known in the farm implement industry and with particular reference to FIG. 4 it comprises, briefly, an adjustable hydraulic cylinder 24 operating within a hydraulic reservoir 25 and having an extensible and retractable rod 26 pivotally connected to a crank 28 fixed to a rock shaft 29 which extends outwardly on each side of the reservoir 25 with each end carrying a crank arm 30 pivotally connected at its outer end to a link 31 connected to a lift arm 32 which is pivoted at one end to the frame of the tractor and connected at the other end in a conventional manner to the body of the scraper member 12. The two crank arms 30 with their links 31 and lift arms 32 afford two points of the three point lift. The third point of the lift is provided by the usual turn-buckle 36 which is pivotally fixed at one end to the tractor as by means of a pin 38 and is also pivotally fixed to the body of the scraper element at an elevated position afforded by the interconnected outer ends of a plurality of struts, generally indicated by the numeral 39 in FIG. 1, whose inner ends are connected at spaced positions on the top of the scraper member 12.

As will be apparent from an inspection of FIG. 4, when the rod 26 is extended crank arms 30 are pivoted counterclockwise to effect raising of the scrapper and when the rod 26 is retracted the scraper is lowered, but in order to prevent the full weight of the scraper from being supported solely by the ice, the rod 26 is provided with a stop collar 40 which positively limits the return movement of rod 26 so that at least a part of the weight of the scraper member is at all times supported by the three point lift during scraping operations.

With further reference to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the tractor is provided with a conventional power take-off 42 carrying at its outer end a chain and sprocket drive 43 for operating a positive displacement water pump 44 having an inlet alternatively connectible with schematically shown suction conduits 46, 48 respectively leading from a collection chamber in the scraper body and from the rink surface beneath the scraper body as will be apparent as the description proceeds. The pump outlet 50 is connected by suitable conduit means 52 to the hereinbefore described tanks 13.

In addition to operating the water pump 44, the power take-01f shaft 42 may drive through suitable bevel gears 54 a conventional hydraulic pump 56 which may be supplied with hydraulic fluid by way of a conduit 58 from the hydraulic reservoir 25. The pump delivers fiuid to a conventional four way valve block 6@ having the usual return conduit 62 to which the pump delivery, depending upon the position of the valve handle 64, may be directly connected. When the valve handle is moved to a second position pump delivery is connected to an outlet conduit 65 leading to a hydraulic motor, whose function will become apparent hereinafter, disposed on the scraper member, the return from the motor being by way of a conduit 66 which, with the valve handle in its second position, is then directly connected to the return conduit 62. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the valve member 60 would be desirably located in a position convenient to the operator, preferably on the steering wheel column, and it will also be apparent that the pump 56B could be the same pump which normally supplies fluid to the hydraulic cylinder 24 to effect raising and lowering of the scraper element, in which event the usual valve (not shown) for controlling the cylinder 24 would be arranged in parallel relationship with respect to the four Way valve 60 for controlling fiow of hydraulic fluid to the motor carried on the scraper member.

With reference now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the scraper member 12 is composed of two rigidly interconnected front and rear parts 68, 7th, the front part 68 having an open front and bottom and being composed of a pair of skid-like, laterally spaced sidewalls 72 which are interconnected at their upper edges by a rigid top 73 which also extends along and is connected to the rear portion 70. K

The latter is composed of a continuous vertical curved wall 74 whose forward vertical edges are integrally connected to the corresponding rear edges of the forward part 68 as by welding or the like. The rear part 7t? is provided with rearwardly sloping floor 76 integrally joined about its periphery with the adjacent surface of the curved wall 74, as by welding.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3 the rearwardly sloping floor '76 is provided with one or more (two being shown) laterally extending movable louvers or doors 78, 8t which are hinged to stationary parts of the floor '76 by means of suitable hinges 32. The doors may be provided with integral lips 84 on their rear edges and the doors are normally urged to their closed position by relatively light springs 86 having suflicient strength only to retain the doors closed when there is no force other than their weight acting on the doors to move them in an opening direction. The bottom of each door is provided with a plurality of laterally spaced, preferably resilient skids 87 so that when the scraper member is in its working position of FIG. 3 the doors are retained closed by engagement of the skids with the ice surface.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. the floor '76 is solid so as to provide a Water-tight receptacle in which collected snow may be melted by means hereinafter described. In both embodiments the upper wall or top '73 has welded thereto a plurality of laterally and longitudinally extending channel members, generally indicated by the numeral 88 and best seen in FIG. 2, which give necessary strength and rigidity to the scraper member.

The means for scraping the ice consists of a rearwardly sloping scraper assembly 91} which extends transversely between the side walls 72 of the front part 68 of the scraper body. The assembly 99 includes a transverse base plate 91 having a blade part 92 connected to its forward edge and the plate 91 carries on its upper surface a conveyor sheet 93 having shallow upturned side edges 94. Extending transversely from the forward side edges of the plate 91 are a pair of opposed pivot pins 95 which are received in mating holes in slide members 96 which may be of inverted T construction with the headpart 97 thereof being guided between fixed guides 98 and with the stem part 1% being vertically slidable between fixed guides W2. A heavy compression spring ltd-t interposed between the lower surface of the upper wall 73 and a collar 1% fixed to the upper surface of the member 1% normally urges the T-shaped member 96 downwardly with the latter being capable of being raised against the force of the spring 194 by means of an adjusting screw 108 which extends freely through an opening in a spacing member HE) and is provided with a hex head cap 112 adapted to receive a Wrench so that the screw 108 may be turned in one direction or the other to effect raising or lowering of the T-shaped member 96 and consequent adjustment of the depth of cut taken by the blade 92. Also carried on each T-shaped member is a suitable bearing means (not shown) adapted to receive the projecting end of a lateral shaft 114 carrying at each end a sprocket wheel 116 engaged with a sprocket chain 118 trained over a second sprocket wheel 120 carried at each end of a shaft 122 which also has fixed thereto a drive sprocket 1124 engaging a sprocket chain 126 leading over a sprocket wheel 128 fixed to the shaft of an hydraulic motor 130, which has been previously mentioned in connection with N6. 4-, and it is this motor to and from which the delivery and return conduits 65, 66 lead to the valve block 6% carried on the tractor. In FIG. 3 the drive sprocket 124 is shown in phantom inasmuch as it is carried on the projecting end of shaft 122 which extends through and beyond the right hand sidewall '72 of the scraper member, the iight wall being shown removed for purposes of clarity.

Extending between and connected to the sprocket chains 11? are a plurality of transversely extending paddles 132 which, when the shaft 122 is rotated clockwise by bydraulic motor 130, are driven in a direction which would sweep rearwardly snow collected at the front end of the blade assembly 99. By mounting the first mentioned sprocket shaft 114 in bearings carried in the T shaped members 96 it will be apparent that as these are raised and lowered the paddle spacing at the front end of the blade assembly will remain constant regardless of the adjusted depth of cut. The slight change in distance between the aXes of the drive and driven shafts 122, 114 as the member 96 is raised is readily compensated for by the sprocket chains merely becoming somewhat slacker, without in any way appreciably affecting the efficiency of the drive.

In order to change the attack angle of the blade to meet varying conditions, the rear end of the conveyor sheet is rigidly connected to a channel member 133 Whose outer end is pivotally received in a slotted bracket 134 threaded to a vertical adjusting screw 136 whose upper end extends through the top 73 and is connected by means of a universal joint 138 with the shaft 140 of an adjusting wheel 142 illustrated in FIG. 1. If desired the lower end of the adjusting screw may be surrounded by a housing 144 having a suitable slot 145 in its forward wall to accommodate the channel member 132. It will be apparent from an inspection of FIG. 3 that as the adjusting screw 136 is turned in one direction or the other the attack angle of the blade 92 will be accordingly increased or decreased to insure satisfactory treatment of the ice sur face depending upon conditions.

Surrounding the rear lower edge of the scraper member from a point approximately abreast of the blade 92 is a squeegee member 146 which serves to prevent sideways spilling of snow from the blade and also serves to collect standing water which may be on the ice. If the water trapped by the squeegee beneath the scraper is excessive it may be continuously removed by way of a pipe 148 Whose upper end is connected to the previously described conduit 43 leading to the inlet of the water pump 44. In addition to the squeegee the scraper member carries means for depositing fresh water onto the surface of the ice behind the scraper. This means comprises a second conduit 154) which is connected through a suitable valve (not shown) directly with the tanks 13. When the valve is opened water flows by gravity from the tanks 13 through the conduit 15% to an arcuate, laterally extending conduit 151 (see FIG. 2) disposed about the curved wall 74 of the scraper member and provided with a plurality of downwardly open perforations through which water falls onto a suitable spreader 152, which may comprise toweling as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and which drags over the ice to distribute the fresh water smoothly onto the ice surface. In order to insure gravity feed, the tanks 13 are so constructed as to extend vertically a distance substantially above the conduit 150 and before commencing operation the tanks would be filled to a sufficiently high level to insure the ready flow of water rearwardly through conduit 150.

With particular reference now to FIGS. 2 and 5 means are there shown whereby snow deposited in the rear part of the scraper member may be melted. The melting means may comprise a pair of laterally spaced burners 154 of the conventional flame thrower variety suitably mounted over openings in the top wall 73. The mounting means may comprise vertical brackets 156 (see FIG. 2) which permit vertical adjustment of the members which are supplied with fuel from the aforementioned fuel tank 16 shown in FIG. 1. After the burners have been ignited, they are then lowered through the openings in the top 73 to approximately the position shown in FIG. 5 where the flame projects downwardly directly onto the snow deposited into the receptacle formed by the sloping floor 76 and curved sidewall 74 of the rear part of the scraper member. As the snow is melted, the water flows rearwardly of the floor 76 where it is collected and may be continuously removed by way of a conduit 158 which is connected to the aforementioned alternate conduit 46 leading to the inlet of the water pump 44.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 5, desirably the gravity fed water conducted to the lateral conduit 151 at the rear of the scraper member is led through a sinuously arranged conduit 150a passing back and forth closely adjacent to the burner members 154. With this arrangement the water is heated by the burners immediately prior to flowing onto the ice from the conduit 151. The warm water serves to melt minute spicules on the surfaces missed by the blade and insures a mirror smooth surface after the ice has been treated.

The operation of the embodiments of the invention should be obvious from the foregoing description. When the surface of ice is to be reconditioned, the traction member is moved onto the ice with the scraper member 12 in raised position as illustrated in FIG. 1. When in position to commence operation, the scraper member is lowered until the squeegee element 146 is in tight contact with the ice surface but the entire weight of the scraper is prevented from being carried by the squeegee by engagement of the limit collar 40, shown in FIG. 4, with the cylinder 24 so that a part of the weight of the scraper is at all times borne by the three point lift and is not entirely carried by the squeegee. The operator then commences scraping operation and in the event he detects that the initial setting of the blade, either as to depth or as to angle of attack, is incorrect he makes suitable adjustments by screwing in or out on the adjusting screws 108 and/ or 136 until he is satisfied that the equipment is appropriately adjusted to the prevailing surface conditions. At this time the operator moves the handle 64 of the four-way control valve 60 shown in FIG. 4 from its normal by-passing position to a position wherein the hydraulic pump 56 delivers fluid to the hydraulic motor 130 carried on the scraper member to cause the paddles 132 to operate in the direction to convey scraped snow rearwardly of the scraper assembly 90 and deposit same in the receptacle formed by the rear portion 70 of the scraper member. At this time the operator may also open the valve in conduit 48 so that free standing water collected by the squeegee 146 may be pumped into the tanks 13.

In the event that it is preferred to unload the snow without converting it to water, the embodiment of the scraper member of FIG. 3 is employed whereby, when the receptacle is loaded with snow, the operator would merely position the scraper member where the snow is normally deposited for removal and he would then operate the three point lift to elevate the scraper member so that the weight of the snow acting downwardly on the doors or louvers 78 and 80 would cause these to open and release the snow as intended to be shown in FIG. 1. Thereafter, the operator would move the equipment to an operating position and then lower the scraper member to its working position whereby the skids 87 on the lower surface of the doors would cause these to be moved positively to their closed position, the springs 86 serving to bias the doors in this direction so that they are prevented from hanging vertically downwardly and thus interfering with the scraper member being fully lowered to its Working position.

The operation of the embodiment of FIG. 5 is identical to that described in FIG. 3 except that in lieu of doors for unloading the receptacle, the burners 154 continuously melt the snow in the receptacle and the resulting water is continuously pumped out by the water pump 44 and delivered to the tanks 13.

In both embodiments of the invention, fresh water may be distributed onto the surface of the ice rearwardly of the equipment by the operators merely opening the gravity feed control valve to enable water to flow from the tanks 13 to the distributing conduit 151 at the rear of the equipment as previously described.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the apparatus shown and described is susceptible of a variety of changes and modifications. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 5 instead of the water pump delivering the water from the melted snow to the tanks the water might be passed through a filter by the pump and returned directly to the conduit for redistribution onto the surface of the ice. This arrangement would positively prevent the accumulation of undesirable ice thickness. In addition, it may be desirable to use burners with the door type scraper members. Under these circumstances water which leaked through the doors would be picked up by the suction pipe 148 and circulated in substantially the same way as the water picked up by the pipe 158 in the embodiment of FIG. 5. Where it may be desirable to remove natural snow of some depth from an outdoor skating rink or from walks or driveways, the scraper blade 92 could be replaced by a relatively shallow substantially vertically arranged pusher-type blade which would serve to break up and feed the natural snow onto the conveyor plate whereupon the snow would be conveyed rearwardly by the paddles in the same fashion as the snow formed by ice shavings. The pusher blade would be desirable in lieu of the shave type blade shown in FIG. 3 to prevent an excessive amount of natural snow from being scooped into the mechanism at a greater rate than can be conveniently handled by the transverse pad dles. These and other modifications and changes are contemplated as being within the purview of the invention without departing from the scope and the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in treating the surface of ice, in combination a power driven traction member, and a scraper member, a connection between said traction and scraper members for vertically elevating said scraper member between Working and elevated positions with respect to said traction member, a transverse scraper blade mounted on said scraper member and having a cutting edge extending below said scraper member so as to engage in scraping relationship the surface of ice when said scraper member is in its working position, an upwardly and rearwardly sloping conveyor sheet adjacent to and in line with said scraper blade, a receptacle on said scraper member rearwardly of said conveyor sheet, the upper lateral rear edge of said conveyor sheet extending freely into said receptacle, conveying means disposed over said blade and said conveyor sheet for removing shaved ice from behind said blade and moving the same along said conveyor sheet for depositing into said receptacle, power means carried by said scraper member for operating said conveying means, burner means carried by said scraper member and arranged to extend downwardly into said receptacle for melting shaved ice deposited therein by said conveyor means, laterally extending water distributing conduit means carried by said scraper member, and second con-- duit means for delivering water to said first conduit means, said second conduit means being disposed on said scraper member in close adjacency to said burner means for heating the water in said second conduit means prior to delivery to said first conduit means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said connection between said traction and scraper members includes means for effecting at least partial support of the weight of said scraper member by said traction member at all times when the former is in its working position.

3. The combination of claim 1 including means carried by said scraper member for adjusting the extent to which the cutting edge of said blade extends below said scraper member and means for adjusting the angle of attack of said blade.

4. For use in treating the surface of ice, in combination a power driven traction member, and a scraper member, a connection between said traction and scraper members, said connection including means for vertically elevating said scraper member between working and elevated positions with respect to said traction member, a transverse scraper blade mounted on said scraper member and having a cutting edge extending below said scraper member so as to engage in scraping relationship the surface of ice when said scraper member is in its working position, an upwardly and rearwardly sloping conveyor sheet adjacent to and in line with said scraper blade, a receptacle on said scraper member rearwardly of said conveyor sheet, the upper lateral rear edge of said conveyor sheet extending freely into said receptacle, conveying means disposed over said blade and said conveyor sheet for removing shaved ice from behind said blade and moving the same along said conveyor sheet for depositing into said receptacle, power means carried by said scraper member for operating said conveying means, door means in the bottom of said receptacle, spring means urging said door means at all times towards closed position, skid means fixed to said door means for slidingly engaging the surface of the ice to positively retain said door means in closed position when said scraper member is in its working position, and means enabling said door means to move to open position in opposition to said spring means in response to the weight of shaved ice in said receptacle to dump said ice when said elevating means is operated to elevate said scraper member until said skid means is clear of the surface of the ice.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 652,311 6/ 00 Hourihan.

1,242,433 10/ 17 Friedman 37-12 1,067,035 11/26 Andrews.

1,806,069 5/31 Lloyd 37-12 X 1,816,279 7/31 Curzon -253 X 2,223,213 11/40 Kerstan 37-42 2,330,113 9/43 Daniels 37-126 2,642,679 6/53 Zamboni 37-13 2,719,369 10/55 Lindbeck 37-153 X 2,791,044 5/57 Hancock 37-8 X 2,984,022 5/61 Johnson 37-129 3,044,193 7/62 Zamboni 37-13 3,090,139 5/63 Hancock 37-129 3,126,883 3/64 Smith 126-3435 BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

BENJAMIN BENDETT, CHARLES E. OCONNELL,

Examiners. 

1. FOR USE IN TREATING THE SURFACE OF ICE, IN COMBINATION A POWER DRIVEN TRACTION MEMBER, AND A SCRAPER MEMBER, A CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID TRACTION AND SCRAPER MEMBERS FOR VERTICALLY ELEVATING SAID SCRAPER MEMBER BETWEEN WORKING AND ELEVATED POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAID TRACTION MEMBER, A TRANSVERSE SCRAPER BLADE MOUNTED ON SAID SCRAPER MEMBER AND HAVING A CUTTING EDGE EXTENDING BELOW SAID SCRAPER MEMBER SO AS TO ENGAGE IN SCRAPING RELATIONSHIP THE SURFACE OF ICE WHEN SAID SCRAPER MEMBER IS IN ITS WORKING POSITION, AN UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY SLOPING CONVEYOR SHEET ADJACENT TO AND IN LINE WITH SAID SCRAPER BLADE, A RECEPTACLE ON SAID SCRAPER MEMBER REARWARDLY OF SAID CONVEYOR SHEET, THE UPPER LATERAL REAR EDGE OF SAID CONVEYOR SHEET EXTENDING FREELY INTO SAID RECEPTACLE, CONVEYING MEANS DISPOSED OVER SAID BLADE AND SAID CONVEYOR SHEET FOR REMOVING SHAVED ICE FROM BEHIND SAID BLADE AND MOVING THE SAME ALONG SAID CONVEYOR SHEET FOR DEPOSITING INTO SAID RECEPTACLE, POWER MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SCRAPER MEMBER FOR OPERATING SAID CONVEYING MEANS, BURNER MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SCRAPER MEMBER AND ARRANGED TO EXTEND DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID RECEPTACLE FOR MELTING SHAVED ICE DEPOSITED THEREIN BY SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, LATERALLY EXTENDING WATER DISTRIBUTING CONDUIT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SCRAPER MEMBER, AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS FOR DELIVERING WATER TO SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS BEING DISPOSED ON SAID SCRAPER MEMBER IN CLOSE ADJACENCY TO SAID BURNER MEANS FOR HEATING THE WATER IN SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS PRIOR TO DELIVERY TO SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS. 